In Fushun city, Liaoning province, Fang Dongfeng, 50, and Zhu Li, 48, are known as "mobile blood banks."
Their story began in 1995. On their first date, passing a mobile blood donation vehicle, Fang invited Zhu Li to donate. This chance encounter revealed a coincidence: both carried the rare blood gene. Zhu Li has B Rh- blood, while Fang has AB Rh-. In China, the percentage of people with Rh- blood is very low, often referred to as "panda blood" due to its rarity.
"The blood collection needle was larger than an IV needle; she was afraid of the pain but still accepted," Fang recalled. Her courage convinced him she was the right life partner.
 |
Fang Dongfeng, 50, and Zhu Li, 48, in Fushun, Liaoning. Photo: Marriage & Family Magazine |
On 8/10/2002, they registered their marriage. Instead of a celebration, the couple went to a blood donation center. "Two blood donation certificates are more valuable than any vows," Fang stated.
Carrying rare blood means shouldering a great responsibility. For over two decades, their phone numbers have remained unchanged and are always on 24/7. Fang, a former soldier, treats calls from the blood center as military orders.
During China National Day holiday in 2009, while the family was traveling, Fang received a call from Shenyang about a critically ill patient needing blood urgently. Without hesitation, the couple explained to their children, returned their bus tickets, and went back. The trip was canceled, but a stranger's life was saved.
In 1/2015, Fang was at work when he received an urgent call. He immediately requested leave. Only then did his colleagues realize the quiet man was a "knight" in the rare blood community.
 |
Fang Dongfeng and his wife during a blood donation. Photo: Marriage & Family Magazine |
To ensure their blood always meets standards, the couple adheres to a disciplined lifestyle. Fang gave up his favorite braised pork with rice, abstains from alcohol and tobacco, and exercises daily.
In 2016, after giving birth to their daughter, Zhu Li's weight increased to nearly 70 kg. Concerned that high blood lipid levels would prevent her from donating, she began training with her husband. After 3 months, she lost 15 kg, meeting the criteria to return to the blood donation center. Medical staff in Fushun noted that despite strict standards for regular donors, the Fang couple always achieve optimal health indicators.
Remarkably, their two children also inherited this gene. In 2017, their eldest son was found to have AB Rh- blood, like his father. Three years later, their youngest daughter was also identified with A Rh- blood. "In the future, our family will have four mobile blood banks," the father proudly said.
In their small home, their most valuable asset is 30 donation certificates, representing a total of 14,000 ml of blood donated—equivalent to the total blood volume of three adults. In 2024, the Fang Dongfeng family was honored in the "China's Good People" list.
"The value of a family isn't measured by how much wealth it possesses, but by how much warmth it gives to society," Fang stated.
Bao Nhien (According to Marriage & Family)
